Color indication for shuttle changing looms



Sept. 15, 1936. R G, TURN? I 2,054,177

COLOR INDICATION FOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS V Original FiledMay 8, 1934' 5 Sheets-Sheetl Sept. 15, 1936. R GjT'URNER, 2,054,177

COLOR INDICATION FOR S UT LE CHANGING LOOMS Original Filed May a, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 R. c; TURNER Sept. 15', 1936.

COLOR INDICATION FOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LooMS Original Filed May 8, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fez-figured 61 JZarner Sept. 15, 1936. R. e. 'TU'RNER I I 2,054,

' COLOR INDICATION FOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS Original Fild May 8, 1934 5 sheets-sheet 4 fizevzr afar/var Sept. 15, 1936. R. G. TURNER COLOR INDICATION FOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed May 8, 1954 Patented Sept. 15, I936 UNITED STATES COLOR INDICATION FOR SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts v Application May 8, 1934, Serial No. 724,520 Renewed April 2, 1936 14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in multicolor shuttle changing looms and more particularly to the color selecting mechanism therefor.

In a type of multicolor shuttle changing loom -heretofore proposed by me there is provided a magazine having two stacks of reserve shuttles to cooperate with a lay arranged to move a shuttle drawn from either stack into action when a weaving shuttle has its supply exhausted. The mag- 1 azine is so arranged that shuttles drawn from either stack pass into a common compartment from which they move to a shuttle box on the lay, the shuttles from the front stack dropping in the compartment while those of the rear stack are pushed forwardly into it.

The release mechanisms for the two stacks include in their constructions hook shaped depressible controllers which are controlled by the pattern mechanism so that but one controller is I operatively relatable at a time to an actuator.

Change boxes are provided on the magazine end of the lay and are called into action by weft detecting mechanism. These boxes rise at the time of change so that the top box receives the reserve shuttle while the bottom box receives the oncoming depleted shuttle, subsequent lowering of the boxes placing the fresh reserve shuttle into picking position while the depleted shuttle is expelled forwardly from the lay.

As heretofore constructed it has been possible to advance a shuttle from the magazine independently of the rising motion of the boxes and it is an important object of my present invention so to coordinate the change box and magazine that it is not possible to release a shuttle from the magazine until assurance is had that the change boxes have started to an elevated position where change can occur. This result I achieve by having a single moving member, such as a lifter lever, actuated at the time a change is called to depress the selected hook and at the same time raise the change box. A single latching device controlled by the detector mechanism rocks the lifter lever and should it fail in its operation the shuttle advancing and change box lifting operation will not be performed.

When the loom is equipped with a Knowles head receiving its indication from a vibrator lever there is the possibility that with high speeds the controller for the hooks will vibrate sufiiciently to render uncertain their exact positions with respect to the part which coacts with them to operate the magazine. The movement of the chain balls under the vibrator run is accompanied by a slight fluttering or unsteadiness on the part of the vibrator which is transmitted to the hooks and it is a further object of my invention to provide means for preventing this slight uncertainty in the position of the vibrator lever from-being communicated to the color selecting hooks. This result I' may accomplish either by a specially designed chain link or by a lever system interposed between the vibrator and the hook controller and related periodically to a surface which steadies the hook connections.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein econ venient embodiment ofmy invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a loom having'my invention applied thereto, 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale looking in the direction ofarrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the upper left hand part of Fig. 1, showing a pattern chain adapted to weave a fabric with two picks of one color and two picks of a second color,- p n Fig. 4 is a detail plan view looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 2, a 1 i Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail switch mechanism, 7 1

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the lower part of Fig. 2, p n

Fig. '7 is a detailed vertical section on line l.'! of Fig. 2,

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View showing the form of chain which maybe used with my invention when weaving a fabric having a stripe of four picks alternating with another stripe of a differ.- ent kind operating with four picks, and

Fig. 9 shows a form of chain which can be used in carrying out the modified form of my invene tion.

Referring to the drawings, the loom frame 20 supports at the upper left hand end thereof a Knowles head motion K and has a lay L at the left end of which is mounted the shifting shuttle box structure B. At the opposite or right hand end of the loom is a magazine M which in the present instance is arranged to supply reserve shuttles of two distinctive kinds.

As shown in Figsrl and 3 the head motion comprises upper and lower cylinders 2| and 22, respectively, between which lie vibrator gears l3 mounted on vibrator levers 24 one each of which is shown. In the preferred form of the invention the vibrator lever may be positioned by the ordinary chain indicated at .C as comprising large rolls 25 and sinkers or low rolls 26 which position the run 21 of the vibrator. The vibrator'shown controls the drop boxes to be described.

A box lifter rod 30 supports upper and lower shifting shuttle box cells 3| and 32, respectively. The vibrator gear has a connector 29 attached to a box lever 33 from which extendsa lifter chain 34 trained around appropriate sheaves and connected to the-lifter rod 30, see-Fig.1. lt is side elevation of the sufficient for present purposes to state that the rolls on the chain move the vibrator gears into.

engagement with one or the other of the cylinders to be rotated for the purpose of actuating. the lever 33 to raise or lower the shuttle boxes. These connections are old, and maybe as more fully set forth in Patent No. 837,284, simplified to operate two shifting boxes.

A fixed stud 35, see Figs. 2 and. 6, has secured thereto a bracket 36 on the horizontal arm of which is pivoted a selector lever 31 having a guide head 38; Front and back selector h'ooks 39 and 40, respectively, pass through the head' and'are positioned one at a time in the path of a downwardly movable actuator pin 4I carried by a lifter lever 42 movable about the stud 35. A flexible link 43 is attached to the selector-lever by an adjustableconnection 44 and acts to move the guide head rearwardly, or to the right in Fig. 2, against the action of spring 45. The'latter extends between the bracket 36 and the upper'part of lever 31, and tends tomove the guide head forwardlyto place rear hook 4fl in the path of actuatorv pin 4|. The guide head can thus be movedto placeeither hook operatively with respect toithe actuator.

The forward arm 41 of lever 42 is adapted .for occasional connection with a periodically 54 on the forward arm of lifter lever 42 is norrocking actuator lever 48 driven normally during loom operation by a cam '49- on the bottom shaft 50 of the loom. A lifter latch 5l is pivoted to '1ever"48 see Fig. 7, and is connected at its lower end to'the core '52 of a solenoid 53 carried by 'the'actuator lever 48. A notched overhang mally' cleared by the latch 5I when the solenoid is deenergized'a light spring 55 holding the latch in normal inoperative position as shown in Fig. '7

When the solenoid is'energized the latch moves under the. notched'overhang and is held in that position by a hooked spring 55 supported on lever 42. 'Thespring' holds the latch in its operating position before the rocking lever starts to rise independently of continued action of the solennoid. When the latch moves up it will free itself from the spring hook and then engage the overhang 54. The sequence of operations is' rapid and the 'latchdoes not have time to move away from the overhang before engaging it. On the down stroke thelatch is free to move back to normal idle position whenpulling away from the overhang.- The hooked spring is further described and claimedin my copending application Serial No. 585,564. V

A two part yielding lifter'linkf58, see Fig. 2, is suspended from the front of lifter lever 42 and is attached to the lower end of a box lifter. rod 59 normally in down position, Upper and lower transfer shuttle boxes 60 and 6 I respectively, are supported by. the upper end of the rod' 59. The

and frontiwall II, provide two spaced; compart- 'ments or guideways for the stacks; of reserve shuttles. I V ,r

The bottomshuttleof the rear stack is sup ported on a fixed plate 12 immediately in front of a plunger I3 normally in rear position. When hook 39 is depressed, a link I4 connected thereto will rock lever I5 clockwise to advance the plunger toward the front, or left in Fig. 2. The bot- 7 tom rear shuttle is thereupon moved into a compartment P under the front shuttles and falls on arms 16 secured to and extending rearwardly from the lay. As the latter moves backwardly, the shuttle falls off the arms I6 and into the top box (it, which has been raised to receive it. The

plunger is thereafter moved back to normal position by spring 11. This mode of transfer and the arms I6 are set forth and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 560,573.

The bottom shuttle of the front stack rests on a finger 'IB pivoted on the front magazinewall and held yieldingly in shuttle supporting 'posi- 7 tion. When hook 40 is depressed. a'link I9 connected to it rocks lever 89'to lift a shorter link 8I attached to the finger I8, removing the latter to permit the lowest front reserve shuttle to fall 'into the compartment P and on the support'arms 16. Transfer to raised box 60 then follows substantially as already described for the rear shuttles.

The superposed front reserve shuttles are held up by a friction pad 82 which presses against the next to the bottom front shuttle to support the stack when the lowest shuttle falls. When finger E8 rocks clockwise, Fig. 2, the pad 82, which is normally held yieldingly forward, is pushed back by spring action to hold the upper shuttles. At transfer the cover 85 of box 69 is raised by rod 53 when the lay moves rearwardly and a lug 86 on the'cover engages a fixed cam 81 on the magazine to pivot the cover upwardly so the incoming shuttles can enter the box 60.

Lever I I5, see Fig. 5, is positioned by the vibra tor 24 for the boxes through the connections shownin Figs. 1, 3, and 5, wherein there is illustrated one form of mechanism to maintain the indication free from undesirable vibration as the pattern chain presents successive high rolls under a the lever 24. The flexible link 43 is connected to the outer end of lever I I5, while there ispassing downwardly through a part of said lever a' lifting rod I H the upper end of which is connected to a lever I I8 pivoted as at II9 to the head end of the loom.

The lever I I8'has an arm I20 attached to a link I2i connected to the vibrator lever 24, see Fig. 3. When the vibrator is down rod I I1 drops so that 'Fig. 1 by being over a high roll, the rod II'I lifts the lever II5. When lever H5 is down a light spring III causes the pole piece III) of a switch I94 to connect electrodes I03 and I08, but when the'lever is up the pole piece is raised by the heavy spring I I3 to connect electrodes I96 and I 91.

It is desirable that the pole piece maintain its contacts and the lever 31 hold the hooks 39 and 49 without fluttering or unnecessary vibration, so that the. circuits and magazine controls may be certain in their action. When employing the usual Knowles head pattern chain I accomplish this result by an additional lever I26 pivoted on fixed stud II6 and having a stop screw I2'I held against 'a stop lug I28 on lever II5 by tension spring I29. The lower end of lever I2 6 coacts with a cylindrical segment I30 secured to a hub I 3| fast on the bottom shaft of the loom. The segment'I30 is concentric with the shaft and. has

. an adjustable lifting collar I22 thereon will permit an inner surface I33 to position a lug I34 on the lower end of lever I 26.

The pattern mechanism is so timed with respect to the segment that when one high rollais passing from under the vibrator lever and anotheris approaching it, a condition which is likely to result in a slight clipping of the vibrator lever, the surface I 33 will move by rotation of the bottom shaft into holding relation with respect to the lug 134. Under these conditions levers I I5 and I26 are in the d d li position shown Fig. '5, with link 43 and spring I I 3 tensioned. Any downward pull on lever I I5 will be transmitted through lug I28, screw I21 and lug I34 to segment I36 and be resisted by the latter to prevent fluttering or shaking of pole piece H0 and selector hooks. The pattern chain is timed so that it moves the vibrator lever upwardly, or permits its descent, during those times when the segment 430 is away from lug I34.

When weaving a so-called 2 and 2 pattern the pattern chain will be built as shown in Fig. 3 and is composed of two low balls 25 alternated with two high balls 25. The segment is operatively related to lever I I5 during the time that control of the vibrator lever is passing from one high ball to another high ball, but it is inotoperative while the vibrator control is passing from a low to a high ball, or vice versa. In other words, segment lei! is operative on alternate beats only, and not on intermediate picks when the vibrator is subject to shift by the pattern chain. This alternate pick relation is obtained by having the segment on the bottom, or two pick, shaft 50.

My invention is not restricted to 2 and 2 weaving, however, and I may weave a fabric having wider bands or stripes, as an example, a 4 and 4 pick weave, where the repeat is eight picks, four weft threads of one color being followed by four threads of a difierent color. Such a pattern would be woven by the chain assembled as shown in Fig. 8, where a series of four low balls 26 is followed by another series of four high balls 25,. The segment I38 will take care of the spaces m and n between the first and second, and third and fourth high balls, reading left to right in Fig. '8,- but it will not operate when the space S passes under the vibrator, since this is the point in the chain where a shift of control from high to low or vice versa, would or could-occur if the repeat were different.

In order to prevent fluttering at such :a time, that is, when space S is under the vibraton'I use the form of link shown in Holmes Patent No. 1,953,652 and designated herein at I59. In this way the lever I I5 and pole piece, are maintained without objectionable vibration throughout the time that the vibrator is under a series of rolls. No serious fluttering occurs when the vibrator is down, since at such times it is likely to rest on a fixed part I49 of the head frame rather than the low balls. At these times there is no need for moving the lug 534 into operative relation with the segment nor is there any force tending to disturb the lever H5, since springs 45 and III both act to lower it, and spring I I3 is slack.

In the second form of my invention shown in Fig. 9, all the spaces between high rolls may be occupied by the links I59. The upper surfaces of the links are substantially concentric with the axis around which the chain turns when under the vibrator lever, and as a result, lever H5 will be held against objectionable vibration.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means whereby the oscillation or fluttering of the vibrator lever which is normal with theusual typeof chain in the Knowles head is prevented from being communicated to those parts which control the color selection and the switch PM. It will be seen that this result is accomplished by a lever which is'operatively related to the color selector and switch at those times when the fluttering would result and it will be noted that this control is removed in time to permit the vibrator to move from a high to a low roll or vice versa. It will further be seen that when repeats of four or more successive picks of the same color are being woven I may employ a form of chain link which will supplement the lever action; This is desirable in the type of loom specifically described wherein each weaving shuttle must be active for two successive picks and where a change from one to another weaving shuttle can occur at the end ofan even number of picks laid by either shuttle.

Having thus described my inventionit will be seen that changes and modifications maybe made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the-in vention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weftreplenishing loom, a set of shifting shuttle boxes to render active or inactive any one of a plurality of weaving shuttles, avibrator lever, a pattern chain to position the lever, connections between ,the'vibrator lever and the shuttle-boxes, multicolor weft replenishing ,mechanism, a selector for said replenishing mechanism, connections from the vibrator lever andthe selector, .and means to prevent substantial vibration of the selector when the pattern chain passes under the vibrator lever. T

2. In a loom, multicolor weft replenishing mechanism, a color selecting device for themechanism, a vibrator lever, a pattern chain to move the vibrator lever, a member connected to and movable by the vibrator lever, connections between the member and the selector device, and means connected to the member to-prevent substantial vibration of the member. and selector mechanism as the pattern chain passes under th vibrator lever. v

3. In a loom, multicolor weft replenishing mechanism, a color selector device for the mechanism, a vibrator lever, a series of high and low chain balls to pass under the vibrator lever,a member to be moved by and with the vibrator lever, connections between the member and the color selector effective to give said selector posi tions varying with the position of the vibrator lever, and means acting in timed relation with the movements of the high balls and operatively related to the member to prevent substantial vibration of the member and color selector when high chain balls pass under the vibrator lever.

4.1n a loom, multicolor weft replenishing mechanism, a color selector for said mechanism, a vibrator lever, a series of high and low chain balls to passunder and position the vibrator 1ever, a regularly moving element, connections between the vibrator lever and the color'selector to position the latter, and means .operatively in terposed between the element and the connections to prevent substantial vibration of the so lever, a link between the vibrator lever and the "force transmitting lever causing the latter to be moved by and with the vibrator lever, a, link tion of the force transmitting lever and the color selector. 7

6. In a loom, a multicolor weft replenishing mechanism, a color selector for the mechanism, a vibrator lever, high' and low chain balls'to position the lever, a force transmitting lever, connections between the vibrator lever and the force transmitting lever, connections between the force transmitting lever and the color selector to posi' tion the latter according to the position of the vibrator lever, a'regularly moving element, and means interposed between' the element andithe force transmitting lever to prevent substantial vibration of the latter and the color selector device when the chain balls pass under the vibrator lever.

'7. Ina multicolor shuttle changing loom, a multicolor magazine for reserve shuttles of different types, a selector to determine which type of shuttle is to be, delivered by the magazine, changing shuttle boxes to be moved relatively to the magazine to effect shuttle change, advancing means controlled by the selector to move a selected reserve shuttle toward the changing shuttle boxes, and a single device to cooperate with the selector and the shuttle boxes and effective toinsure movement of'the shuttle boxes rela-' be'movd relatively to the magazine to effect shuttle change,'an actuator for the selector and the change boxes, and means to move the actuator on'a shuttle changing beat of the'loom,'the actuator effective to" start movement of the change shuttle boxes relatively to the magazine whenever the selector acts to move 'a selected reserve shuttle toward shuttle changing position.

' :9. In a'multicolor shuttle changing loom, a

multicolor magazine for reserve shuttles of difierent types, a selector mechanism to determine w hich,type of shuttle is to be delivered by the magazine, changing shuttle boxes to be moved relatively to the magazine to effect shuttle change,

a plurality ofhooked elements forming part of the selector mechanism, an actuator operatively connected to the change boxes and arranged for cooperation with but one of the hooked elements at a time, said actuator having a movement to, shift the change boxes and simultaneously move a hooked element and means to move the actuator on a shuttle changing beat of the loom. 10. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a multicolor magazine for reserve shuttles of different'types, a selector mechanism to determine,

which type of shuttle is to be deliveredby the magazine and advance a selected reserve shuttle toward shuttle changing position, changing shuttle boxes to be mo'vedrelatively to the magazine to efiect shuttle change, an actuator common to the change boxes and selector mechanism, and

operating means for the actuator to move the latter ata time of shuttle change, the actuator insuring simultaneous movement of the change boxes relatively to the magazine and movement of the selectormechanism to advance a reserve shuttle on a shuttle changing beat of the loom.

11. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a multicolor magazin'efor reserve shuttles of different types, a color selector, a regularly moving member, change shuttle boxes to move relatively to the magazine on shuttle changing beats of the loom to receive a reserve shuttle, an actuator for the change boxes and the selector, an electro-magnetic device to connect the member and the actuatona switch to be electrically con- 7 nected in either of two positions to the electromagnetic device, an element common to the switch and the selector to position said switch tuator for the change boxes and the selector, an

electro-magnetic device to connect the member and the actuator, a switch to be electrically connected in either of two positions to the electromagnetic device, an element common to the switch and the selector to position said switch and selector, a pattern mechanism member connected to and positioning the element, and means independent of the pattern mechanism member to prevent substantial vibration of the element and the switch and the color selector should the pattern mechanism member vibrate.

13. In a multicolor shuttle changing loom, a multicolor'magazine to hold reserve shuttles of' different types, a selector to determine which type of reserve shuttle is to be called and ef-' fective to advance a called reserve shuttle toward shuttlechanging position, a vibrator lever, spaced pattern elements to determine the position of the vibrator lever, operative connections between the vibrator lever and selector to move the latter by a force derived from the vibrator lever, and

brator lever and having successive high balls to raise and which cause vibration of said lever, a

member connected to and'movable by the vibrator lever, connections between the member and the selector device, and means to prevent vibra tionof the member and selector when successive high balls on the chain pass under the vibrator lever. RICHARD G. TURNER. 

